Satnam Singh Bhamara, first Indian hoopster drafted in NBA, switches to professional wrestling

By: Sports DeskUpdated: April 15, 2022 9:28:37 am

Basketball player Satnam Singh Bhamara, who became the first Indian to be drafted into an NBA team before being banned for doping, has switched to professional wrestling with the All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

The 26-year-old Singh, who created history when he was picked in the NBA draft by Dallas Mavericks in 2015, made his AEW debut on Wednesday.

Last night on #AEWDynamite Satnam Singh (@hellosatnam) the first ever Indian born NBA draft pick, now focused on pro wrestling and coached by @sonjaydutterson, arrived in AEW, helping Dutt + @TheLethalJay attack new ROH TV @SamoaJoe! Catch Dynamite on @EurosportIN + @TBSNetwork! pic.twitter.com/L51VPHeKfx

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 14, 2022

Singh follows in the footsteps of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, who squared off alongside Jade Cargill in a mixed tag team match against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet on “AEW: Dynamite” in March 2021.

READ |India’s NBA trailblazer Satnam Singh Bhamara fails dope test, provisionally suspended

Satnam signed the contract in September last year. “In addition to Satnam’s commanding 7’3″ stature, I was impressed with his high level of athleticism and charisma. He’s an exciting addition to our roster, and I’m looking forward to our fans getting to know Satnam’s personality and watching his development,” Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW, had said in a media release.

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Bhamara, in 2015, created history when he was picked in the NBA draft by Dallas Mavericks. He went on to play the next two years in the Development League with Texas Legends, an affiliate of Dallas Mavericks. After returning to India for a year to focus on the national team, Bhamara once again created history in September 2018 by becoming the first India-born cager to play in the National Basketball League of Canada after signing a deal with St John’s Edge. In 2019, a streaming service announced a digital movie on Bhamara’s life; the second such thing after Netflix released a documentary based his journey to the 2015 NBA Draft.

Later in 2019, Bhamara was provisionally suspended by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) for failing a dope test last month. Bhamara’s urine sample was collected during the preparatory camp in Bangalore for the South Asian Games. The banned substance that was detected in his sample could not be confirmed. The 7-foot-2-inch centre from Balloke, Punjab, has represented India in major tournaments like Asian Championships, 2018 Commonwealth Games, and 2019 World Cup Qualifiers.

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However, Singh’s two-year ban ended on November 19, 2021, but it seems like he has switched his career to professional wrestling from basketball.

First published on: 15-04-2022 at 09:23:34 am Next Story

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